Rotary steam-engine.



H. A. WEIDENBACH.

' 'RTRY STEAM ENGINE.

' APPucATxora. men FEB. u. 191s.

1,3091 ,QQ-'899 Patented Apr. 221x919.

4 TToH/VZY HERMAN A. WEIDENBACH, F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

ROTARY STEAM-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 29, 1919.

Application led February 11, 1918. Serial No. 216,516.

To all whom t may conce/rn:

Be it known that I, HERMAN A. WEIDEN- l BACH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Buffalo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Im.- provements in Rotary Steani-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The general object of my invention is to provide a rotary steam engine which shall provide for multiple expansion of steam. My engine is, therefore, very efficient and economical in steam consumption.

One of the novel features of my device is the peculiar arrangement of ports and sliding valves in the casing and ncasing heads.

ll/Iy device is very simple and durable in its construction.

Furthermore, by the peculiar arrangement of valves and ports in my device, a constant and uniform torque on the driving shaft is produced.

The above objects and advantages have been accomplished by the device shown in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a transverse, sectional elevation of the complete engine and is taken on line 1,-1 of Fig. 2. n

Fig. 2'is a longitudinal, sectional elevation, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation, taken on line 1-1 of Fig. 2, showing the rotor in a different position from that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional elevation, showing the exhaust ports, and is taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In general, my device comprises an outer stationary casing 5, having heads 6 and 7, suitably secured to the ends thereof; and a rotor` 8, rigidly mounted upon a shaft 9.

The casing 5 is provided with a plurality of radially arranged expansion valves 10,11, 12 and 13, and a radially arranged inlet valve 14. These valves are slidably arranged within slots formed in the casing and each is preferably rectangular in cross section, having a working face 15 preferably semi-cylindrical in form. Each of the valves extends preferably the full width of the casing and each is provided with spring pressed means. As shown in the drawings, each of these spring pressed means comprises a. Acylinder 16, screwthreaded into the outer casing 5 of the engine in such a position as to be immediately above the valves. Within each of these cylinders 16 is arranged a plunger 17, having preferably a peripherally reduced end 18, which bears against the upper face of the valve. A helical spring 19 is arranged within each of the cylinders and serves to keep the plunger 17 in con tact with the valve. The cylinders may be adjusted so as to alter the tensionof the` springs.

The casing 5 is provided with a continuous expansion chamber 20, extending from the valve 10, passing valves 11 and 12, and terminating at the valve'13. An expansion chamber inlet port 21 is arranged at the forward side of the valve 10 and connects with the expansion chamber 20. A steam passage 22 is arranged in advance of each of the valves 11, 12 and 13, and each passage connects the expansion chamber 20 with the inn terior of the casing (according to the direction of rotation, indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1.) A live steam inlet connection 23 is provided and connecting this with the interior of the chamber is a live steam inlet passage 24 y.arranged in advance of the inlet valve 14.

The rotor 8 of my device is provided in its periphery with a plurality of piston chambers 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30, having abutrnents 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, respectively.4 The rotor is of such a diameter that its periphery is in close proximity t0 the inner wall of the casing, thereby keeping the piston chambers sealed. The shaft 9, carrying the rotor, is rotatably mounted within the heads 6 and 7 of thecasing in any suitable manner, but preferably within the anti-friction bearings 37. Suitable packing 38 is provided for the shaft within each of these heads, and also within the dust cap 39. A dust cap 40 for the shaft bearing is secured to the head 6.

In each of the end heads 6 and 7 is provided an annular exhaust chamber 41, which is connected .with the face of the head by means of the exhaust passage 48. These an nular exhaust chambers are connected together by means of the exhaust passages 48 and a manifold exhaust port 42, formed laterally in the casing of the engine. An exhaust connection 43 is provided in the cas ing, whereby the exhaust steam is conducted to a suitable point of disposal. A plurality of exhaust ports 44, 45, 46, and 47 are formed in each of the heads. These ports are connected with the annular exhaust chamber 41 and open into the face of the head close to the interior Wall of the casing, and are arranged in front of the sliding valves 11, 12, 13 and 14, respectively.

Having thus described my invention, I will now describe the cycle or operation, reference being had particularly to Figs. 1 and 3. Referring first to Fig. 1, it Will be seen that t-he abutment 35 of the piston chamber 30 is in position to receive the im pulse of live steam as it comes, under pressure, to the port 24, from any suitable source of supply. The rotor will thus be driven forwardly, in the direction indicated by the arrow, by this live steam, until the tail end of the piston chamber 30 has reached the farther side of the port 24k, and is in the position shown in Fig.v 3, whereupon the live steam will be cut ofi' from the piston chamber 30. By referring noiv to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the abutn'ient 36 of the piston chamber 80 has just passed the near side of the expansion chamber inlet port 21, when it Will permit the steam Within the piston chamber 30 to pass through the port .21 into the expansion chamber 2O Within the casing. The expanded steam Within this chamber 2O will be of substantially the same pressure throughout its length; and just as soon as the abutment of any one of the piston chambers passes either of the valves 1.1, 12, or 13, the steam will be supplied to that particular piston chamber' through one of the ports 22, and thesteam thereby again expanded. As the abutment of any one of the piston chambers approaches the` next succeeding valve, the exhaust port immediately in front of that valve Will be uncovered, and the stean'i under its expanded pressure contained Within the piston chamber will be emptied and the chamber scavengered as the .surface of the chamber passes beneath the said valve. The exhaust steam is collected within the annular exhaust chambers 11'01" the heads and passes thnough the yexhaust passage 48 and the manifold exhaust port lf2 to the exhaust connection 43. y

For convenience in claim phraseology, I referto the valve 10 as the expansion inlet valve,.and to the valves 11, 1Q, and 13 as the expansion valves. By the near side of the valve or port, I mean the side which is first reached by any point on the revolving rotor, and by the far side, I mean that side ivhich last passes by any point on the roter. Thus, the expansion inlet port 21 :is located on the near side of the inlet expansion valve 10, While the steam passages 22 are each located on the far side of the expansion valves 11, 12, and 13, and the live steam inlet port 24 is located on the far side of the inlet valve 14.

While Ihave shown six piston chambers and ive sliding valves, it is obvious that any other desired number of chambers and valves may be employed. In the foregoing specification, I have described my device as a steam engine, but, obviously, it may be used as an air compressor or blower, if desired. These and other modifications of the details herein shown and described may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the appended claims; and I do not, therefore, Wish to be limited to the exact embodiment herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A rotary steam engine comprising Va casing and a rotor, the casing being formed with a continuous expansion chamber provided vvith a plurality of steam passages cornmunicating With the interior of the casing, an expansion chamber inlet port connecting one end of the chamber with the interior of the casing, the rotor being provided in its periphery with a plurality of piston chambers, arranged to communicate With the chamber inlet port and said steam passages, and a plurality of sliding valves carried Vby the casing and engageable with the snrfaces of the piston chambers.

2. A rotary steam engine comprising a casing and a rotor, the casing beinr formed With a continuous expansion chairiiber provided with a plurality of steam passages communieating With the interior of the casing, an eX- pansion chamber inlet port connecting one end of the chamber with the interior' of the casing, the rotor being provided in its periphery with a plurality of piston chambers, arranged to communicate With the chamber inlet port and saidv steam passages, a sliding expansion inlet valve located on the far side of the expansion inlet port and a sliding eX- pansion valve located on the near sicleof the steam passage.

3. A rotary steam engine comprising acasing and a rotor, the casingbeirr formed' With a continuous expansion cham er provided with a pll5u'ality of stcampassages coi'nrnunicating with the iiiterior of the casing, an expansion chamber inlet port connecting one end of the chamber With the interior of the casing, the rotor being'provided in its? periphery with a plurality of piston chan'rbers, arranged to communicate `Withthe chamber inlet port and said steam passages", each of the piston chambers being provided with a steam controlled abutment, and a plurality of slidingvalves carried by `the casing and engageable with the surfaces of the pistn chambers.

4r. A rotary steam engine comprising a casing provided with steam admission means, a rotor and casing heads, each casing head being provided With an annular exhaust chamber, the rotor being provided vin its 'periphery with a plurality of piston chambers and each head being also provided with exhaust ports leading from the rotor chamber to the annular exhaust chamber, and a plurality of sliding valves carried by the casing and engageable with the surfaces of the piston chambers.

5. A rotary steam engine comprising a casing provided With steam admission means, a rotor and casing heads, each casing head being provided With an annular exhaust chamber, the rotor being provided in its periphery with a plurality of piston chambers and each head being also provided with exhaust ports extending from the rotor chamber to the annular exhaust chamber, the casing being also provided with a manifold exhaustport connecting the annular exhaust chambers oi' the heads.

6. A rotary steam engine comprising a easing, a rotor and casing heads, the casing being formed with a live steam inlet port and also formed With a continuous expansion chamber provided with a plurality of steam passages communicating with the interior of the casing, an expansion chamber inlet port connecting one end of the chamber With the interior of the casing, the rotor being provided in its periphery With a plurality of piston chambers arranged to communicate with the chamber inlet port and said steam passages, a live steam inlet valve arranged on the near side Aof the live steam inlet port, an expansion inlet port valve arranged on the far side of the expansion inlet port and an expansion valve arranged on the near side of the steam passage.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

HERMAN A. WEIDENBAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D'. C. 

